Bass Lick Series: Fat & Dirty Synth Bass Groove

Here’s a fun lick you can use any time the music calls for a fat, dirty groove. This is in E♭, built predominantly on a E♭ minor pentatonic fill (with a 9th added).

To achieve this sound, you’ll need a couple of effects: an octaver and an overdrive. I’m using the MXR Bass Octave Deluxe, the MXR Bass Overdrive and TC Electronic’s Hall Of Fame Reverb in the video below.

Follow along with the video – where I play the lick full speed before slowing it down – and the transcription (standard notation and tab – PDF).

For the gear heads: I’m playing my Sandberg California MarloweDK signature bass strung with Dunlop nickel strings, into a MXR’s Bass Octave Deluxe and Bass Overdrive, along with TC Electronic’s Hall Of Fame Reverb. The amp is a TC Electronic RH450, which I run into Logic Pro through the RH450’s direct output.

For more great bass lessons from Thomas "MarloweDK" Risell, visit PlayBassNow.com.